Project Norton
 

So back in 1976 my stepdad parked his 1971 Norton in the kitchen of our apartment because it needed some work at 7700 miles. ...not knowing it was destined to sit in various garages and sheds under a sheet for the next 46 years.

When he passed around 2010 it came to me... I took it in and drained the fluids, put in fresh, managed to turn the engine over a few times and then threw a sheet back over it. Took me 12 more years to decide to do something.

2 months ago I started that something.

First up was to see if it would even run. Cleaned the amal carbs, drained and flushed the tank and just gave it a try. After 2-3 nights i got it to run - not well - but run. Okay, worth it to keep going. So then I started going through the basic stuff. Wires, plugs, points, carbs (twice more) tank (teice more) and other things and got it to not only run but idle well.

The a wash and checking the brakes and drive train. Once these were well I took it around the block a few times.

Over the last few months I started going through it top to bottom. ALl rubber being replaced, wiring checked, mechanicals, etc... Now it looks decent, rides and drives and I have 300 miles on it.

This winter I will do a more thorough tear down and address some more mechanicals like the swingarm, heads, etc.. ...but I'm very pleased with the progress for a bike that sat for 46 years!

Before:

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Progress!

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1666832272.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1666832272.jpg
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Awesome.

I remember something about a big rubber bushing in the middle of the frame to reduce vibrations, and that this was hard to change?

One of the most beautiful bikes ever made.

Ah - the Isolastic engine mounts. There are two... Suprisingly the heavy duty factory rubber is in really good shape. I'm guessing before the environment was a thing - they made better rubber. Even the vinyl seat is in really good shape. It was the thinner rubber bits like carb boots, lines, etc.. that had hardened.

This winter I need to replace and upgrade the swinarm bushings. Not sure I need to address the engine dampers actually.

Feels britishhttp://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1666833153.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1666833153.jpg

Very cool! Well done..

Fantastic! She’s a beaut!

The rubber? Probably real latex rubber. My 65 MGB had some natural rubber. Forgot why I know this. Had to either DO something or NOT DO something to it!

I made the mistake of taking a new Norton for a test ride in the early seventies. I couldn't afford it then and have wanted one ever since. Great to see somebody with one.

My friend from school days was selling his Commando and was sounding me out as to whether I was interested. I really liked it. Yellow and polished alloys and chrome. GF said to me "No! you already have one classic to look after and I don't mean me." So it ended up being a no. No to the bike.

Very Cool!! I have had a 1965 Norton 750 G15 for the last 39 years! It is now due for the Grand refurbishment as well! Just bought new pipes and silencers for motivation;)http://forums.pelicanparts.com/support/smileys/wat.gifhttp://forums.pelicanparts.com/support/smileys/wat6.gif

Great work, Chris!
A friend back in the day had a Commando until someone pulled out in front of him.
I guess as far as bikes go I'm stuck in the 70s. That's not so bad.

Best
Les

Good thread. I look forward to your future updates, and I can appreciate how you didn't give up when the first attempts at the carbs and tank didn't give you the results you wanted, so you persevered to get it right. It's too easy to put the sheet back over it when it isn't going the way you want it to.

Looks great. Nortons are great bikes, track down its issues and get it purring and roaring. That's half the fun, at least for me.

Fantastic project. It looks like it has pretty good bones considering its long slumber. I'm eager to watch the progress during our long winter months.
One of my favorite bikes.

The black and gold Commander.

Friend of mine in grade school, his brother had one of those. Loved that thing

Thanks everyone. I have to say the mechanic who worked on it prior should have a comfy home in heaven. No stopped fasteners, nothing gorilla tight... Knock on wood I'm honestly amazed at how 40-50 hours of labor and $500 (so far) has brought this bike back this far.

Great project, Chris. I have loved Norton Commandos since the first one I ever saw/heard.

Great story. Thanks for sharing.

I remember back in the 70's seeing my first Norton . It was a black/gold Commando and I just thought it was stunning . Such classic lines it embodies what a motorcycle should look like . Good luck with your restoration and thanks for sharing .

Before and after of front fender.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1666973449.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1666973449.jpg

Impressive dent removal skills. Very impressive. I like how the bike is being restored, but not overrestored. Tastefully done as the British would say.

Thank you. It took about an hour and a lot of patience. Still some remnants but as you said - not over-restoring. Its a 51 year old bike - I don't want a museum piece but rather a bike that looks like its original, well cared for and ridden.

This thread makes me happy!

This has always been on the top of my "bucket list" bikes. I have been absolutely in love with Nortons since the late 1970's, when one of my riding buddies picked up a John Player Special. We were quite the little riding group - me on my Sportster (which I still own), a couple of buddies on Bonnies, one on a real - I kid you not - Ducati 750 Super Sport (yes, like the one that went into six figures on BAT recently), and the guy on the Commando. The Ducati made the biggest impression, and I've been able to kinda "scratch that itch" with my '93 900 SS, but the Norton has always eluded me.

I understand these are "easier to own" than at any point in their history. Plenty of aftermarket support, building "better" parts than those with which they were even delivered with back in the day, making them truly "rideable" today. Boy, the pain we all felt back then, trying to keep these not quite "old" yet (in those days) two cylinder paint shakers alive was at times very daunting. The Ducati was the first to suffer the inevitable, with my buddy finally giving up on it in the early '80's through lack of parts and a constant need for them. I bet he's kicking himself now...

We had a local who was rebuilding Nortons in the early 2000's, and selling them for not unreasonable prices. I almost grabbed one then. But, alas, the "yeah, someday" attitude prevailed again. Dang it. If I keep watching you, though, one day I might start blaming you... not that my wife would actually buy that...

Anyway, yeah - you are my current hero. I'm envious as hell.

I don't want to make anyone cry (especially me) but when I was 16 and had my Bonneville Saint, my friend had a Triton with the featherbed racing frame. We were sad it wasn't a real Norton, and he sold it.

That was a very popular combination back in the day, and remains so today. "Sportons", Sportster motors in Featherbeds, are another popular combination.

Interesting story behind that. This is from an acquaintance who races a vintage sidecar down in your neck of the woods. A big bore stroker Sportster running on methanol of all things. Anyway, he tells me that the Triton was spawned because Triumph couldn't build a frame, and Norton couldn't build a motor. The Norton motor was notably powerful, but notoriously fragile when pushed to its limits in racing. The Triumph mill addressed that problem. He tells me the combination is even legal for vintage racing, it became so ubiquitous in its day.

Fender..........Nicely done Chris!!http://forums.pelicanparts.com/support/smileys/wat.gif

My wife’s commando ,picture is a little faded. She’s 5’ tall, had a Norton P-11 prior to this one. Color is Chrysler Lime light Green, sporting the Dunstall dual disc front brake.

Richhttp://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1667069001.jpg

Might as well throw in a picture of mine. The market has pretty well topped out on these bikes. A nice one will run you about $8000.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1667090716.jpg

Thanks for all the comments. I sat on this thing for 12 years and then was just decided it was time to ***** or get off the pot - so I cleared some space and dove in. The Norton was the standard by which all other bikes were compared until the rise of the Japanese machines. ...the thing I like about them is that they're so mechanical. They respond well to maintenance and restoration and can be "brought back" unlike many modern machines.

What I like is that I can "dive in" on any part and its not hard to sort out how it was intended to work. ...and parts are still very reasonable compared to 911's and other things I've owned.

Today I learned that if you leave the ignition on with a points equipped vehicle you will kill one of the coils. Overheated one and it started pissing oil. Time to replace it - and to make sure I fix the ignition warning light so i don't do that again.

There is certainly a comradery amongst British bike owners.

An example being; a friend and his buddies went to watch the Isle of Man racing and to do a ride around Britain while they're at it. Mike's Triumph crapped out as they do and he needed a fairly major part. He posted something on a British Bike group's Facebook page and immediately got lots of offers. A guy said "Look I'm just down the road, I can help." He drove a couple of hours with parts and tools. Together they all got the bike fixed and he refused payment. Just said if I ever make it to New Zealand you can buy me a beer.

If this won't make you a Norton fan, you might want to check your pulse. Granted, this is an old Dominator, but what music:

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For some reason, a bike like that without the front fender, always looks cool to me.

Couple of updates. Winter project commenced. I may have went a little farther than I planned but its only end of December and bike is already goign back together.

Put it up in the air

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Sorting this mess

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A moment of "What have I done?"

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Powdercoated the swingarm and some other bits. Didn't date put the shocks in the oven so those were painted.

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Polishing the springs took forever with tshirt strips and mag polish

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Oil tank

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Got creative to paint the underside of the frame

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3D printed an adaptor for modern smaller AGM batteries into the factory battery tray.

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Well done Chris.

That should "Put her right" for the next 40 or 50 years.